Born in Harleigh, Pennsylvania. He dropped out of school at the end of ninth grade but continued taking night courses and correspondence courses. He received an LL.B. from National University in Washington, D. C. in 1923. Married Ruth Anita Benner November 20, 1915. They had a son and a daughter. He was a Mason and a Shriner.

Employed as a water boy in a coal mine at age 14 and as a mule driver at age 16. He moved up to stock clerk and timekeeper at age 20. Later he became payroll clerk and cashier in 1912.

He joined the Bureau of Ordinance of the War Department in 1918 and became chief statistician and chief of the cost accounting section. He went to the Bureau of Efficiency as an investigator in 1920. In 1923 he went to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to investigate irregularities following the dismissal of the director and 27 employees.

He served as 16th Director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing from December 22, 1924, through December 15, 1954.

He died at a nursing home in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

bio: Hessler; NCAB 55 (photo); WWWA-5 obit: CW 3/5/1969